Hermosillo

Anastasio Cuca, Yaqui leader, 1887

Evidence from a site called the San Dieguito Complex, located in the El Pinacate Zone, suggests the area has been inhabited by humans for about 3,000 years. Evidence of agriculture dates back 2,500 years.[5] In the pre-Hispanic era, this area was inhabited by the historic Seri, Tepoca, and Pima peoples.[3][5]

The first encounter between the Spanish and the indigenous peoples of the area occurred in the middle of the 16th century, when European explorers came in search of gold. The Spanish explorers were followed by their Franciscan missionaries in the state of Sonora around 1614. Eusebio Francisco Kino arrived in 1687, founding a mission in nearby Cucurpe. The present-day states of Sonora and Sinaloa were loosely organized as the provinces of Sonora, Ostimura and Sinaloa.[5]

In 1700, three small Spanish villages were founded in what is now the outskirts of Hermosillo: Nuestra Señora del Pópulo, Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles, and la Santísima Trinidad del Pitic. The native peoples here soon became hostile to the colonists and repeatedly drove them out in the early 18th century. In 1716, the Spanish offered irrigated lands for farmers to the native peoples, who agreed to abide by Spanish law. Around 1726, a fort named the Presidio of Pitic was constructed to stop the domination of this area by the natives, especially the Seri. However, the situation remained contentious. The first church was not built until 1787, and the first formal parish was not established until 1822.[3][5]

During the Mexican War of Independence, Sonora and the town of Pitic stayed loyal to the Spanish Crown. Local general Alejo García Conde defeated insurgent José María González Hermosillo, who had been sent by Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla.[5] Following independence from Spain, in 1825 the village of Pitic was made the seat of the department of the same name. In 1828, the settlement changed its name to Hermosillo to honor the insurgent leader José María González de Hermosillo.[3]

A battle between imperial and republican forces occurred here in 1866 during the French Intervention in Mexico. In 1879, the capital of the state of Sonora was moved from Arizpe to Hermosillo. In 1881 the railroad linking Hermosillo with Guaymas and Nogales was finished, allowing for economic expansion in the area by bringing in mining equipment and modern agricultural equipment. Since then, the city has been an economic center for northwest Mexico.[3]

During the Mexican Revolution, beginning in 1910, forces loyal to Pancho Villa were expelled from the city by General Manuel M. Diéguez.[3] After the assassination of Francisco I. Madero in 1913, Venustiano Carranza, then governor of Coahuila, sought refuge in Hermosillo. Here, Carranza began the Constitutionalist Movement. As a result, Hermosillo is nicknamed the "revolutionary capital of the country."[5]

From the late 19th century, until around 1920, Chinese immigrants entered the state of Sonora as laborers. A significant number settled in the city of Hermosillo. Some of these immigrants established businesses, especially shoe manufacturing and clothing. Some of the most successful Chinese-owned businesses in Sonora were based in Hermosillo, and sold their merchandise to other parts of the country.[6] But by the 1920s, anti-Chinese sentiment had become strong in Sonora state, and many Chinese left for Mexico City or the United States.[7]

In the 1980s, Ford Motor Company built a plant. This strongly influenced the city and state economy.[5]

Hermosillo was the tragic site of a fire, at the ABC Child Care Center, on June 5, 2009. According to the Procuraduría General de Justicia en el Estado (State Attorney General Office) de Sonora, the fire resulted in 49 deaths at the center; nearly half of them were children.[8] The fire is believed to have started at an adjacent automobile shop, before spreading to the child care center. Most of the children died of asphyxiation. There were about a hundred children inside the building. Firefighters had to smash holes in the walls to rescue the children, who ranged in age from six months to five years.[9]

20th century

Overview of the city of Hermosillo with Chapel of our Lady of Carmen on the right, in front of Madero Park, c. 1910

At the beginning of the 20th century, Hermosillo had about 14,000 inhabitants. During the Mexican Revolution, forces loyal to Francisco 'Pancho' Villa were expelled from the city by the General Manuel M. Diéguez. After the assassination of Francisco I. Madero in 1913, Venustiano Carranza, then governor of Coahuila sought refuge in Hermosillo. Here Carranza began the Constitutionalist Movement, because of this, Hermosillo has the nickname "the revolutionary capital of the country'".

In the late 19th century and the first two decades of the 20th century, Chinese immigrants arrived in Sonora. One of the settlements with a significant number was the city of Hermosillo. Some of these immigrants had money and used it to set up businesses, especially shoe and clothing manufacturing. Some of the most successful businesses with Chinese owners in Sonora were in Hermosillo and sold merchandise to other parts of the country. However, in the [20years] a sentiment against the Chinese population in Sonora was strengthened, resulting in many fleeing to Mexico City or the United States.

In the 1980s, Ford built Hermosillo Stamping & Assembly in the city, which had a major impact on the city's economy and that of the state. A whole chain of suppliers was also developed around the assembly plant, which further contributed to economic growth in Hermosillo. Hermosillo was selected partly due to its proximity to the United States.[13][14]

21st century

Plaza Bicentenario in Hermosillo, 2011

In 2000, the businessman Pancho Búrquez was elected as municipal president for National Action Party, in that triennium, the municipality won national awards (such as that of the Secretariat of Comptroller ship and Administrative Development of the federal government, as well as of the International City/County Management Association as one of the most transparent cities in the world. Investment grew in the early decade thanks to the ease of doing business.

One of the most important events in Hermosillo was the event of the ABC Nursery Fire on June 5, 2009. According to the Attorney General's Office of the State of Sonora, there were 49 deaths in the ABC nursery fire. The fire apparently began in a warehouse with government documents planning to disappear, then expanded to daycare. Most of the children died of asphyxiation. There were about 100 children inside the building, firefighters and the population had to make holes in the walls to rescue the children, ranging from six months to five years.[15][16][17] surname a stir both nationally and internationally and society's demand for justice. As a result of these events, June 3, 2010 was published in the Official Journal of the Federation the [decree] by which Day of national mourning is declared on June 5, for the tragedy that occurred at the "ABC Nursery, Civil Society" in Hermosillo, Sonora, on June 5, 2009 and "In sign of national mourning, the izamient is agreed or the National Flag at half-mast on June 5 of each year.[18] parents of victims and citizen organizations,[19] Year-by-year they are reminded by releasing pink and blue balloons on behalf of the nursery children from the tragedy was thoroughly amended by the General Law on Provision of Services for Child Care, Care and Integral Child Development, a legal framework that regulates the operation of nurseries at the national level. It was published in the [Official Journal of the Federation], on October 27, 2011.[20]

As the municipal seat, the city of Hermosillo is the local government of over 3,800 other localities,[21] with a combined territory of 14,880.2 square kilometres (5,745.3 sq mi).[3]

The two most important rivers are the Sonora and the San Miguel. Both of these are used for irrigation purposes with the Abelardo L. Rodriguez Dam located on the San Miguel River.[3] The population increase of the municipality, currently at 2.5% annually, puts pressure on the infrastructure of the city, especially its water supply.[22] Decades of overpumping of ground water has led to the aquifer levels being lower than sea levels, and sea water creeping in as an "artificial recharge."[23]

According to the results of INEGI,[2] Hermosillo is Mexico's 16th largest city, with 812,229 people. Other important communities in the municipality include Miguel Alemán (30,869), Bahía Kino (6,050), San Pedro el Saucito (2,938), El Tazajal (2,062), La Victoria (1,966), Zamora (1,049), and Mesa Del Seri (908).[27] The recent city population spur is due to its recent strong industrialization, especially in the automotive industry and its providers.

Torre Hermosillo, built in 1995 in Northeast Hermosillo

Most of the municipality's population lives in the city proper, with most jobs located in the manufacturing and commerce sectors here. About 250,000 hectares are under cultivation in the city's outskirts, most of which is near the coast. Crops include wheat, grapes, flowers, chickpeas, alfalfa and walnuts. Livestock has been traditionally important here, especially beef cattle. Pigs, sheep, goats, horses, domestic fowl and bees are also raised here as well. Fishing is practiced along the coast with shrimp being the most important catch.[3]

Industry and manufacturing has been the most dynamic sector of the economy. Much of this began in the 1980s with the establishment of the automobile industry, specifically the Hermosillo Stamping & Assembly plant owned and operated by Ford Motor Company. Electronics and IT are the largest employers by both revenue and number of employees. Today, there are twenty-six major manufacturers, which generate about 68,300 jobs, employing about thirty percent of the population.

Other than cars, products manufactured here include televisions, computers, food processing, textiles, wood products, printing, cellular phones, chemicals, petroleum products and plastics. Lanix electronics has a major research and design facility and its main manufacturing plant in Hermosillo. The city and its municipality have twelve industrial parks, which house over one hundred smaller manufacturing enterprises.[3] There has been slowing of this sector especially the automobile industry because of the global economic downturn that began in 2008.[22]

Commerce employs more than half of the population; besides small local businesses, chains are well represented; these are locally, regionally (Northwest Mexico), nationally, and U.S.-based. Tourism is mostly limited to the coastal communities of Bahia de Kino, Kino Nuevo and Punta Chueca, where there are cave paintings and a recreational park named La Sauceda.[3] In 2009, Standard & Poor's rated the municipality of Hermosillo as (mxA/Estable/-) based on its administrative practices, financial flexibility and limited financial risks. Financial management of the municipality has been prudent, with adequate documentation of practices. Debt levels have also been prudent at about 33% of gross income, which might decline in 2010. However, the municipality has limited liquid capital.[22]

According to the 2010 population and housing census, in Hermosillo the literacy rate of people between 15 and 24 years old is 98.6% and that of people aged 25 or over is 97%.

School attendance for people aged 3 to 5 is 46.3%; from 6 to 11 years old it is 97.2%; from 12 to 14 years is 94.6% and from 15 to 24 years is 49.8%.[2]

Higher education institutions

UNISON Regional Unit Center

Hermosillo has several institutions of higher education, being the highest house of studies the Universidad de Sonora Hermosillo campus, with more than thirty thousand students in forty-six degrees and more than three thousand teachers.

There are also the Technological Institute of Hermosillo, the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education Sonora Norte campus, the Universidad del Valle de México, the State University of Sonora, the Technological University of Hermosillo, among others.

Hermosillo is located on a plain in the Sonoran Desert, surrounded by grassy flat areas, beyond which are greener hills with serrated peaks in the distance.[32] The city is a common stopover for North Americans traveling by car toward the coast, and is the only city in Mexico that purifies all drinking water before it goes to homes.[32] The city is the major economic center for the state, with about thirty percent of the state's population living in the city.[22]

The center of the city is Plaza Zaragoza, which was built in 1865 and has a Moorish-style gazebo which was brought from Florence, Italy in the early 20th century.[32][33] It also has a flower garden and statues of General Ignacio Pesqueira and General García Morales.[3]

The plaza is framed by the State Government Palace and the cathedral.[32] The Palacio de Gobierno (Spanish for "Government Palace") was constructed in 1881 using stone from the nearby Cerro de la Campana mountain. It has a white Neoclassical facade, with the central portion extended slightly out from the rest of the building. This central part is flanked by Ionic columns and is topped by a semicircular pediment and a clock tower. To either side are windows on the first level and balconies on the second, with the corners having thick pilasters. The interior has a courtyard with a main staircase, decorated with murals depicting scenes from Sonora's history, painted in 1982–1984 by Teresa Moran, Enrique Estrada, and Héctor Martínez Arteche. The building was officially inaugurated in 1906 and reflects elements of French style, which was popular at the time.[33][34]

Catedral de la Asunción, Hermosillo

The cathedral, named the Catedral de la Asunción, is located next to Plaza Zaragoza. It was begun in the 18th century but was not finished until the beginning of the 20th.[33] However, the first chapels associated with the cathedral were begun in the 18th century.[35] Construction of the cathedral began in 1861 and is a mix of predominantly Neoclassical architecture with Neogothic decorative elements. The main entrance is flanked by paired columns on pedestals and the smaller side doors are topped with semicircular pediments. Above the main doors are two ogival or pointed windows, over which is a crest with a balustrade. The church's towers have three levels with a dome-like top and are decorated with crosses from Caravaca de la Cruz. The interior of the church is of very austere Neoclassical design.[36]

The Regional Museum was opened in 1960 with only one small hall, which exhibited archeological finds from the region. Today, there are two large halls, one dedicated to anthropology and the other to history. The anthropology hall displays archeological finds such as tools, utensils, textiles, stone objects and more from both the pre-Hispanic and colonial periods. The second focuses on the colonial period and contains items such as documents, maps, tools, coins and more.[37]

The Museo de Sonora (Museum of Sonora) is housed in a building that originally functioned as a prison. It was completed in 1907 and built by the mostly indigenous prisoners themselves. The prison closed in 1979. In the 1980s, the building was reconditioned, reopening as the current museum in 1985. This museum has eighteen rooms covering various aspects of the state including its paleontology, history, archeology and ethnography. It has also conserved some of the cells of the original prison. Some of its more important items in the collection include a serpent's head from the Teotihuacan period, a collection of coins from the 16th century and various antique weapons.[35]

The Museo de Culturas Populares e Indígenas de Sonora (Museum of Popular and Indigenous Cultures of Sonora) was the former residence of Dr. Alberto Hoeffer. It was constructed in 1904 and restored in 1997, conserving its original French-inspired style. Today, it houses a museum mostly dedicated to the indigenous cultures of the state, including crafts, clothing, customs and ways of life.[35]

The Plaza Hidalgo area of the city was a very fashionable area during the first half of the 20th century when a number of the wealthy and influential of the city built homes here. Today, many of these constructions now house institutions such as the Instituto Sonorense de Cultura, the Colegio de Sonora, Radio Sonora, the Colegio Library and the Colegio de Notarios. Each weekend, the plaza becomes a cultural center, hosting various activities and events such as concerts, exhibitions, theatrical works and more.[35]

The Cerro de la Campana mountain is one of the symbols of Hermosillo. Its summit is 350 metres (1,150 ft) above the valley floor and contains a lookout called El Caracol, which was inaugurated in 1909. There are two theories as to the origin of the mountain's name. One states that it is from a peculiar metallic sound that is made when the mountain's rocks fall against each other. The other is based on the bell-like shape of the elevation.[35]

Just outside the city proper on the highway to Guaymas is the Centro Ecológico de Sonora (Ecological Center of Sonora). The center has more than 300 species of plants and 200 species of animals from both Sonora and other parts of the world. All of the animals live in recreated natural habitats.[33] The Sonoran collection is part of one of CES's main functions, which is to preserve the flora and fauna of the state.[3] The collection contains representations of animals and plants from the four main habitats of the state: mountains, grassland, desert and sea. Some of the species are in danger of extinction such as the bighorn sheep, the white-tailed deer as well as a number of bird and reptile species.[38]

The Dr. Alfonso Ortiz Tirado Festival has been an annual event since 1985 and is the most important cultural event in northwest Mexico. It takes place in Hermosillo and a number of other municipalities in the state. Representatives from various Mexican states and countries such as Spain, the United States, Brazil, Germany and others send artists to perform and exhibit their work. The event is organized by the Sonoran state government and the Instituto Sonorense de Cultura.[39]

In the Coloso neighborhood of Hermosillo, and other locations in Sonora, the Yaqui people are known for their celebrations of Holy Week, which mix Catholic and indigenous religious practices.[3][40] In Hermosillo, the main brotherhood that sponsors this event is called the Fariseos. Rites performed during this week are intended to combat evil and sickness, calling upon both saints and "temastians" or medicine men to use magic to expel evil spirits. During this time participants dress in traditional Yaqui clothing and perform native dances such as El Coyote (The Coyote), Matachines, Los Pascolas and especially the Danza del Venado (Deer Dance), animal sacred to the Yaqui as a symbol of good.[40]

Two other major festivals there include the Fiesta de la Vendimia (Grape Harvest Festival) in July and the Feria Exposición Ganadera e Industrial (Livestock and Industry Exposition and Fair) in May.[3]

Hermosillo's panoramic view from Cerro de la Campana ('Bell Hill' in Spanish)

Hermosillo has several public and private higher education institutions, among them:

• Universidad de Sonora
• Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM), Campus Sonora Norte[41]
• Universidad de Hermosillo[42]
• Instituto Tecnológico de Hermosillo[43]
• Universidad Tecnológica de Hermosillo (UTH)[44]
• Instituto de Ciencias y Educación Superior[45]
• Universidad del Valle de México (formerly Universidad del Noroeste)
• Universidad Kino[46]
• Centro de Estudios Superiores del Estado de Sonora (CESUES)[47]
• El Colegio de Sonora[48]
• Universidad TecMilenio, Campus Hermosillo
• Centro de Investigación en Alimentos y Desarrollo (CIAD)[49]
• Instituto de Capacitación para el Trabajo de Sonora (ICATSON)[50]
• Colegio Nacional de Capacitación Intensiva (CNCI)[51]
• Universidad del Desarrollo Profesional (UNIDEP)[52]
• Escuela Normal del Estado "Profr. Jesús Manuel Bustamante Mungarro"[53]
• Colegio Nacional de Educación Profesional Técnica (CONALEP)[54]
• Colegio de Bachilleres del Estado de Sonora (COBACH)

Private primary and secondary schools include:

• Instituto Irlandés Hermosillo
• Colegio Bicultural Génesis
• Nuevos Horizontes

Bahía de Kino, known as Bahía Kino, and in English as Kino Bay, is on the coast of the municipality and named after Father Eusebio Kino. The waters of the bay have little wave action or undertow and are warm year-round. Activities practiced here include swimming, scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing a variety of species, boating and sailing. In summer it is possible to catch marlin, sailfish, dorado (mahi-mahi) and tuna. In front of the shoreline is Isla Tiburón, which is a declared ecological zone and is inhabited by wild sheep and deer. Kino Bay is the home of the Seri Museum, which was founded to preserve the Seri language and culture.[33] State and federal officials are looking to develop Kino Bay into a major tourist resort, called a Zona turística prioritaria (Priority Tourism Zone). This would include government investment and the attraction of private investment through tax breaks.[55]

La Pintada is an archaeological zone located 60 kilometres (37 miles) south of the city and was a refuge area for the Seri and Pima Indians.[3][33] The site is important because of its caves, which were used as dwellings, burial spaces and religious centers.[33] The caves shelter paintings that contain numerous animals such as deer, birds and lizards as well as human figures. The human figures are stylized and some appear to be adorned with skins and/or horns, other are throwing spears and some appear to be dancing, wearing body paint. In addition there are geometric figures such as squares, triangles, circles, straight and wavy lines, all of which combine in one way or another to form complicated designs. In some areas of the caves there is evidence of paintings on top of paintings, testifying to the length of time the area was inhabited. The paintings have been attributed to the Comca'ac or Seri culture.[56]

San Carlos is a beachfront subdivision within the port city of Guaymas, in the northern state of Sonora in Mexico. It is noted for the exceptional clarity and warmth of the ocean water in its shallow bays. It lies on the body of water known as the Gulf of California. Given the size of the city, with nearly 7,000 inhabitants, there is a remarkable number of RV parks, resorts and stores. There is also a very large and active diving community. There are also other outdoors activities like climbing, sailing, horseback riding, aquatic sports.

General Ignacio Pesqueira García International Airport

General Ignacio Pesqueira García International Airport is located in the western area of the city. It has mostly domestic flights to Mexico City, Guadalajara, Tijuana and Monterrey, and has direct international flights to Phoenix. It has about 1.2 million passengers annually.[66]

The city has a public transport system concessioned to private hands by the Government of the State of Sonora, which make up the trading company called SICTUHSA, which has a fleet of approximately 350 buses on 19 lines that cover much of the city . Although the most commonly used means of transport is car. The Federal Highway 15 connects Hermosillo with Nogales on a three-hour journey and Culiacán on an eight-hour journey.[citation needed]

• Phoenix, Arizona, United States[67]
• Irvine, California, United States
• Norwalk, California, United States
• Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico
• Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

• Bill Melendez (1916-2008) Mexican-born American animator and director of Peanuts specials
• Manuel Ignacio Acosta Gutiérrez (born 1977), politician and member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party
• Rafael Amaya (born 1977), actor
• Elsa Benítez (born 1977), model and television presenter
• Ignacio Bonillas (1858–1942), Mexican diplomat
• Cesar Rosas, (born 1954), singer and composer
• Pancho Búrquez (born 1958), politician
• Cajemé (José María Bonifacio Leyba Pérez, 1835–1887), prominent Yaqui military leader
• Marciano Cantero (born 1960), Argentine Mexican singer and musician, leader of Enanitos Verdes; originally from Mendoza, Argentina, currently based in Hermosillo
• Luis Alejandro Capdevielle Flores (born 1953), editor and politician
• Fernanda Castillo (María Fernanda Castillo), born 1982), actress
• Ramón Corral Ávila (born 1946), lawyer and politician, member of the National Action Party
• David L. Crawford (David Livingston Crawford, 1889–1974), Mexican American entomologist, coach of football and basketball, and college professor and administrator; originally from Hermosillo, lived until his death in Moorestown Township, New Jersey, in the United States
• El Dasa (Dasahev López Saavedra, born 1989), singer
• Gustavo Egelhaaf (born 1983), actor
• Emmanuel Espinosa (born 1975), Contemporary Christian musician, singer and songwriter, founder and bassist of Christian rock band Rojo
• Luis Fernando González Hoenig (born 1995), baseball outfielder for the San Francisco Giants
• Manuel Uruchurtu Ramírez (1872-1912), lawyer, senator (1910-1912), lost his life in the sinking of RMS Titanic
• Isaac Paredes (born 1999), professional baseball player for the Tampa Bay Rays.

• Northeast Hermosillo
• List of radio stations in Hermosillo

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hermosillo.

• Hermosillo official website (in Spanish)
• Hermosillo travel guide from Wikivoyage